September 25, 2024

Sketching and Art Experiments: Trials and Tribulations

Art Toolkit Ambassador Thainlin Tay explores new approaches to perspective while attending an urban sketching event in Malaysia this summer.

By Thainlin Tay

Watercolor artwork depicting a street scene with traditional two-story buildings featuring colorful awnings and balcony windows. Motorcycles are parked outside, and the atmosphere conveys a warm, nostalgic feel. The date and artist's signature are included at the bottom.

Earlier this year, I set a goal for myself to:

“...Further deepen my exploration and experimentation of art through various mediums and subjects while sharpening my skills and techniques in on-location sketching and painting.”

The recent four-day Urban Sketchers event in Penang, Malaysia was an excellent opportunity to realize my goal, and I returned home with renewed vigor for sketching and art-making.

Penang Island, Malaysia, is located on the northwest coast of the Malaysian Peninsula. Founded by Francis Light in 1786, Penang was part of the Straits Settlement, which also includes Malacca (Malaysia) and Singapore. George Town, Penang’s capital, has well-preserved colonial-era buildings interspersed with low-rise pre-war shop houses and places of worship, making it an ideal place to hold the annual regional Asian urban sketching event Asialink Sketchwalk Penang 2024. Tickets flew off the shelf at the event’s announcement, and this August, more than 500 sketchers from 15 countries assembled in George Town for four days to learn, sketch with like-minded people, make new friends, and reconnect with old ones.

As a first-timer, my expectations were high—to learn from the masters and sketch to my heart’s content since the region’s heritage and old buildings are among my favorite sketching subjects. More importantly, I challenged myself to “do things differently” from my usual sketches I have made so far. Frankly, I have gotten bored with my own tried-and-tested sketching and painting formula.

Armed with a 12 “x8” landscape sketchbook and a good variety of sketch tools, I did a few things differently this time.

Using A Fish-eye Perspective for a Panoramic Vista View

Well, it is more of a “modified” fish-eye perspective in this sketch of the street with low-rise buildings from end-to-end. I placed them on a horizontal ground with the top of the buildings curving downwards from the centerline. I am fairly particular about composition, especially in a panoramic drawing when the viewer’s vision is “stretched.”

A watercolor sketch depicting a street scene in Gezeka, featuring low-rise buildings, a large tree, and pedestrians walking on the sidewalk. A fire hydrant is in the foreground, adding detail to the vibrant atmosphere.

The huge tree with the contrasting red wall below was the main draw, while the yellow fire hydrant in the right corner provided a small focal point of contrast and interest.

My second panoramic sketch of Penang’s “Little India” was also approached in a similar way, but with one key difference in sketching technique.

A colorful watercolor illustration depicting a vibrant street scene in a historic area, featuring traditional architecture, palm trees, and a prominent mosque with green accents. The artwork captures a lively atmosphere with shops and people mingling in the foreground. — Little India’s Nagore Shrine by Thainlin Tay.

My critique of this piece was that I should have paid more attention to composition, perhaps to further emphasize the mosque and some foreground elements and slightly de-emphasize the buildings on the left.

When Straight Lines Need Not Be Straight

After attempting sketching from a fish-eye perspective, I was hooked. I discovered that with warped perspective, the straight lines are no longer straight but curved, and this could further add interest to the subjects. I like loose lines over neat ones, so this was well worth the trial. I curved the vertical lines in as much as I could. Typically, the verticals on the far ends would be more curved than those in the center, but this is merely a general rule to be broken with artistic license!

A person seated at a sidewalk, sketching in a notebook. They are wearing a colorful shirt and shorts, with a small potted plant nearby. The scene includes a bustling street with vehicles and a culturally distinct building in the background. — Thainlin sketches on an urban street.

Have Stick; Will Sketch

The biggest “experiment” I undertook was sketching with a twig and ink! A fellow sketcher gave me the twig, and I shaved it to a flat point, using it like a dip pen with an ink pot.

A sketch of a building with multiple windows, drawn in ink. The architecture features a sloped roof and details like lampposts. The artwork is displayed on an open sketchbook placed on a textured surface beside a paint pot. — King Street’s corner of shophouses by Thainlin Tay.

I knew two artists there who used twigs of various sizes with ink to sketch, with exceptional line variations and quality. It was an experiment for me, nevertheless. Twigs are even more difficult to handle and control compared to my usual fountain pens and fine-tip liners. Black spots and shades were merely rubbed on with my lightly inked fingertips.

With this method and make-shift tool, I managed to create this panoramic view of a junction. Watercolors were added thereafter. Again, I should have paid more attention to the composition and created some points of interest. Second, as I later learned, the choice of paper also matters as texture will be automatically created.

Letting Details Go: A Constant Mindset

I often preach simplification and letting go of details to my workshop participants, but I occasionally get caught up in the details and “over-sketching”.

“I believe that things are created twice: first in the mind, then next in the doing.”

When we are doing art, what we tell ourselves constantly in our mind will directly influence the outcome of our artwork; unless one has already built muscle memory and habits. When faced with a complex subject, like this ornate traditional Chinese temple in Pinang Peranakan Museum, the shape and contour of edges could be used to define the building along with adding seemingly random lines and intentional “squiggles” to indicate texture and intricacies, which I had a problem seeing anyway from a distance. I did not want to color this piece, so I added ink to areas of darker value to indicate shade and shadow. With a warped perspective, I think this quick sketchy sketch did turn out rather well; again, it was an experiment of sorts after picking sketching techniques from others.

Concluding Thoughts

Did I meet my objectives? Yes. I did not sketch or paint a lot; I could not even fill up the entire sketchbook. However, the experiments and trials were meaningful for me in my artistic journey, and I am now armed with a better idea of what and how I could approach my art in the future. Still…practice, and loads of practice. The learning journey in art never ends.

A sketch of the Penang Peranakan Museum in George Town, featuring intricate architectural details, decorative elements, and a distinctive roof, all rendered in black ink with splatters and shading to create depth.

A decorative traditional building with intricate rooftop sculptures and ornate details. The facade features a gated entrance surrounded by greenery, and a white car is parked in front. Bright blue skies provide a contrast to the historic architecture.

Art Supplies

Fountain pen with Fude (bent) nib
Fountain pen with G-Nib
Ink - Noodlers’ Bulletproof Lexington Grey & De Artramentis Document Black.
Twig (picked from the street, but slightly sharpened with a pocketknife)
Brush pen (black)
White gel pen
Pencil and eraser
Art Toolkit palettes with Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors, and white gouache
Travel brushes: Sizes 4 to 16
Collapsible silicone water cup
Foldable camping stool

Paint List

A watercolor palette with various paints arranged in a grid, surrounded by tubes of watercolor paint and swatches showcasing different colors on paper. The table has a warm wooden surface. — Thainlin’s Folio Palette, filled with Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors.

Row 1: New Gamboge (DS), Cadmium Orange Hue (DS), Raw Umber (DS), Perylene Green (DS), Indanthrone Blue (DS), White Gouache
Row 2: Quinacridone Red (DS), Undersea Green (DS), Graphite Gray (DS)
Row 3: Naples Yellow (DS), Permanent Red (DS), Burnt Umber (DS), Hooker’s Green (DS), Ultramarine Blue (DS), Davy’s Gray (HB)
Row 4: Buff Titanium (DS), Yellow Ochre (DS), Burnt Sienna (DS), Permanent Green Light (DS), Verditer Blue (DS), Van Dyck Brown (DS)
Row 5: Quinacridone Gold (HB)

DS = Daniel Smith, HB = Holbien